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Settle Down, Princess

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Am I just a pawn, or could I be the queen destined to change the world?

As a young royal, my life has never been my own. Still, I was prepared to do my duty, to marry whomever my father chose…Until his decision became a death sentence.
My would-be-husband is the murderous King of Khean, a terrible man who has killed each one of his previous queens.
But I refuse to be his next victim.

Rather than come to claim me himself, the king sent them.
Four guards, each one more handsome than the next.
The rogue whose eyes follow my every movement, especially when he’s teaching me how to defend myself.
The warrior who tries to pretend this is just a job, while protecting me with his life.
The mysterious commander who is as arrogant as he is gorgeous
And the wolf shifter who claims I’m his fated mate.

They’re supposed to be my jailers, bringing me to the king, but what if they become my allies instead? What if they become my everything?

948 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2024

674 people are currently reading
556 people want to read

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284 (50%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
Profile Image for Beth M..
319 reviews4 followers
March 21, 2025
DNF @ 53%. It was somewhat entertaining at first, but I didn't like that one or more of them was fucked up on drugs anytime they did something sexual, they treated her like shit and barely apologized, and now they have to depose a king to win her back... but at this point I just don't care. I don't like any of the characters and they story is dragging so much that I was flipping through whole chapters that weren't really moving the plot along. Not willing to drag through 400+ more pages for this story.
Profile Image for Cait Sinclair.
70 reviews
July 6, 2024
A drug fueled…romp. DNF
Sam Hall is usually a fluid writer. Sadly I didn’t find this to be the case in this story. It felt amateurish and extremely contrived. Yes, I’m aware romance and particularly RH is often labored, but not to the point it pulls me from the story. And I was repeatedly finding myself unimmersed, sometimes to the point where I was looking for something else to do. That takes some doing as I love to read and usually fall into the stories. The problem is pretty much getting me to Set a book Aside. Not in this case.

I wasn’t a fan that everyone in the story was dependent on the equivalent of coke or meth (I had to look up the drugs that cause an increased sex drive). It was literally served in every meal in one of the countries and frequently used in the other. I couldn’t relate to that, nor do I want to. At the third way point, where I finally just gave up, the MFC had just been dosed twice, in as many sexual encounters. She’d been as pure as undriven snow prior. I’d like a good honest physical reaction, please.

On the upside, I believe Sam Hall was trying to make a point against purity cultures. And I can get behind that 100%.

I’m actually annoyed with myself because I paid money to own this book when I usually rely on my Kindle Unlimited subscription. But I had such faith in Sam I spent money to own it. That will teach me. I usually read it in KU, then if I totally love it and know I’ll want to read it again, I’ll buy it. (Authors get paid twice that way too 👍🏻) Most authors have a misstep, and this, imho, is Sam’s.
Profile Image for Rachel.
2,341 reviews131 followers
June 29, 2024
Sam Hall takes readers on another high fantasy adventure with Settle Down Princess. A standalone reverse harem in the world of wolf shifters and man. If you're looking for your next romantasy then this is it.


At the beginning MFC Princess Jessalyn is soft and somewhat coddled I would expect nothing less in that time period. She is a product of her station and her gender but in her fight for survival, she goes through a journey of self-discovery. Jess is clever, brave, and has heart. I loved seeing her progression throughout the story. She's never going to be a warrior but she became the best version of herself.


It's been interesting with this harem. Airk, Creed, Ronin, and Silas are closer than brothers, they're a pack. Yeah, a pack of mostly humans and one wolf shifter but still a pack with a variety of personalities. I loved the guys (Omg, Creed has my freaking heart) but Jess wasn't the only one who had lessons to learn. The guys made plenty of mistakes (yes there was groveling) but they learned from those lessons and once they stopped being in denial about Jess that's when they had me.


With how thick this book is Sam sure had better fit it all in there. Tropes like touch her and die, fated mates, will burn down the world for her, arranged marriages, forced proximity, drugs, assassination plots, kidnappings, and more, this book was filled with danger and excitement. Plus because of its length, Sam was able to include more scenes that would set the page on fire. I'm so glad that while this story was mostly centered on human relationships and politics, Sam included a good amount about the wolf shifters in this world. My favorite scene was the most intense game of Capture the Flag there ever was. Good times.


For the last bit of the story, I would swear my heart was pounding out of my chest. I was dying to know how it ended but I was also freaking nervous. I was enraptured by Jessalyn's story, it was something I easily got lost in. Settle Down Princess was a fantastic read.
Profile Image for Rach✨.
210 reviews42 followers
July 10, 2024
Overall Ratings:
5/5 🌟♾️
4/5 🔥

I love Jess and her men. It was a very huge book for me but honestly it was worth the wait!

Sam has done it again and made fall in love with a new world of hers. And this time it’s romantasy 🥰
Profile Image for ..
446 reviews39 followers
July 15, 2024
thats enough feminism for today
Profile Image for Jen, Queen of RH .
89 reviews21 followers
August 8, 2024
𝐃𝐍𝐅 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐰.....

The premise and overall medieval vibes of this standalone was pretty engaging but, I'm deciding to drop/not finish this for now due to some instances involving the male leads (Arik, Roan, and Silas) (Creed is safe in my book 😊) that made things less enjoyable for me.
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1.) 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬

Listen, I'm not demanding that the male leads be puritans regarding sex or anything like that. Especially when it comes to steamy genres such as RH, I absolutely understand that 99.8% of male leads are going to be "experienced" individuals.

But to me, there's a difference between male leads simply having experience and making references a couple of times (like 1-3) vs having experience and needing to reference other women/past experiences way too many times.

Here are some (these are some I found by skimming ahead, there's most likely more than this) quotes to highlight what I mean:

"It was not as if I hadn’t held a lot of women."

"But time had passed, and no woman turned my brother’s head, so we’d contented ourselves dallying with women for one night only...."

"Jessalyn was radiant in ecstasy. Some women went red faced and blotchy with it, but she seemed to glow."

"“Every whore we tarry with was someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, at one point..."

"Wenches, whores, or even fine ladies, I’d dallied with them all"

"Not the splashing of a beautiful, naked woman. My ears had become well attuned to that discordant tune, tugging at my breeches, luring me closer far more effectively than the sweetness of a siren’s call."

"Gods’ balls, there was nothing like the feeling of a sweet little woman pressed against your body after you’ve just emerged victorious from a fight."

"I’d walked through parties and drawing rooms, slunk through rich women’s boudoirs and dallied with some of the greatest beauties of the Kheanian court...."

"I could see glimpses, feel the occasional touches of all the women I’d been with in the last year, but I couldn’t see their faces."

"I'd fucked women, but I was willing to bet it looked nothing like this."

"That wasn’t true. I knew many professionals who’d dallied with us for a night for coin..."

Like we get it, ya'll are experienced and have been with bountiful women in the past 🙄.

I honestly don't mind a couple of references here and there, but I felt like there was an unnecessary amount in this one to the point it was getting annoying. And sure, a couple of these references were made to make Jessalyn (female lead) seem more important to the male leads compared to the other women they've slept with. But my opinion is still the same because I'm trying to root for the female lead to be with the male leads, why would I want to see frequent mentions of other women or reminders that the male leads have slept around a lot?

Additionally, I think what made this issue especially more irritating was knowing the fact that the FL had no experiences prior to the male leads and her having to stay a virgin for over 56% of the book because of the plot. She literally couldn't even see the faces of the male population until one of the male leads took off her veil in chapter 3 and she didn't get to have sex with the male leads until past the halfway mark because her hymen needed to be intact for the plot. Yet, I had to see the male leads reference other women/past experiences more than a couple of times? 😐. I'm sorry, but that's a no for me.

2.) 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚

Moving on......

This may be a bit too harsh to call "drama" considering the ow I'm talking about is unalive before the story even begins, but I'll still call it so because this ow plays a significant part in Arik's backstory as well as his future character development.

While ow "drama" is an aspect I actively dislike in my rh reads, I tend to not dislike it as much when it's made clear that said ow was a simple/casual fling, bad person, or it's made clear that there was a mutual breakup. It's most hard for me to accept ow "drama" when it involves a deceased lover who the male lead still loves, which was the case for Arik in this standalone.

Considering what Arik's deceased lover had to endure before passing, I understand why Arik was still hung up on her for a long time and I understand why it took so long for him to fully accept Jessalyn. I get it, he felt extremely guilty.

But it's hard for me to accept his relationship with Jessalyn when it was very much clear he still loved his deceased lover. Not only did he keep seeing her in his mind, he also kept seeing his deceased lover in Jessalyn. On top of all of this, he compared them more than a couple of times.

So, with all of this in mind, it was hard for me to be convinced that he truly loves Jessalyn for who she is and not because he sees her as some replacement. Had he not made continuous comparisons between the two ladies, this wouldn't be an issue and I wouldn't be writing all of this.

Around the 82% mark, Arik himself claims his love for Ariel (his deceased lover) was just puppy love and that he didn't love her like how he loves Jessalyn which I think is complete bs. I don't like it when authors pull the 'well the male lead realized he actually didn't love love the ow he was longing for' because it just seems like a poor attempt to rationalize why the male lead cares more about the fl than the woman he longed for for a long time.

Please be serious. Arik called her "his love", planned to marry her before she got unalived, he was constantly seeing her after her passing, he kept seeing her in the fl, and kept comparing the fl to her. I'm not going to be convinced he was feeling all of that due to guilt and that his love was just "puppy love". Ain't no way 😒.

3.) 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐤

And since I've already brought him up, I'll just continue to talk about Arik 😃.

In complete honesty, Arik was definitely my least favorite out of the four and it's not even a competition. His wishy washy attitude was irritating and I mostly felt sorry for him due to the self-guilt and uselessness he was constantly feeling.

I understand this "push and pull" attitude is a common thing in the enemies to lovers trope which this standalone has and I know it can be executed nicely when there's chemistry. But I don't know, something about Arik didn't do it for me at all.

The fact that a lot of the other reviewers have him as their least favorite and didn't like him as well speaks volumes and for good reason too 🫢. It's not just me, there's a specific common denominator 🙂.

4.) 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐱 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬/𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧

This issue wasn't exactly surprising because this standalone clearly pays nod to sometime around the middle ages to the early modern period where the patriarchal system was overwhelmingly dominate. Hence, the emphasis on purity culture (FL growing up modest, Antagonist wanting the FL to be a virgin etc).

Still, it was sort of uncomfortable to see the male leads frequently calling most of the women they've slept with names such as wh*re, wench, etc.

It was glaringly obvious that they(sex workers) had negative connotations to them and there were a few implications that showed that the male leads had an overall negative view of them.

A few examples other than the name calling:

"I felt a flash of guilt then, at taking pleasure when she[Jessalyn] was feeling so vulnerable. She wasn’t some tavern wench clinging to my side because I’d just won a bare-knuckle fight. Jessalyn was a princess and I had to treat her like one......"
↳ Roan implying that a "tavern wench" can't feel vulnerable at the face of danger and isn't one to be pampered/treated tenderly like a princess unlike the female lead.

“Don’t.” That protective instinct flaring hot and hard in his eyes and driving away his usual cool was not what I expected to see. My heart sank at its appearance. “Don’t talk about her like she’s some doxy—”
↳ The way Silas is defensive of Jessalyn and says "don't talk about her like she's some doxy" shows he considers a promiscuous woman to be a significantly negative thing.
↳ This is further highlighted when Arik tells him that every promiscuous women they've slept with was someone's sister, daughter, loved one, yet he's never cared about their feelings.

"Don’t make eye contact with the whores. They were just women trying to make their money in the only way they knew how, but they were just as likely to slip off the laps of their patrons and sidle up if they thought you were a better mark. You’d find yourself in a fight with some drunken prick, accusing you of stealing ‘his girl’, the woman in question wandering off to find easier money".
↳ Roan painting sex workers as sleazy, desperate, and lazy women.

I'm not an ultra feminist who searches for every little thing to be offended about and maybe I'm looking into this issue in a view that is much too modernist for a medieval style book. But, ever since I noticed the name calling thing, the vibes felt off.

To any reader who is a feminist or pro sex, this issue may be big enough to turn you away. If you are neither of these, then this issue might not be a problem for you. Not everyone shares the same opinion or stance, so just make sure to think if this aspect of the book will be a problem or not before treading forward.
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I wouldn't say I'm dropping this stand-alone for eternity. I may try and give this one another chance. Perhaps when I have nothing else to read or am desperate to read a rh.

But currently, I just don't want to deal with annoying male leads.
Profile Image for Rozebudzz.
372 reviews8 followers
July 16, 2024
A long one

This was a really long one. I had to stop a few times, put it away for a day or so, then get back to it. Jessalyn, the princess was difficult for me to like. She was selfish, self-absorbed, self-centered and childish. None of the MMCs were likable either. Arik was especially difficult to like. There’s a lot of repetitive dialog. The story dragged in places. I sometimes felt like I was reading the same chapter repeatedly. Didn’t really like this one as much as I’ve enjoyed other books by this author. It was just too long.
Profile Image for Cat H.
1,972 reviews219 followers
Read
September 4, 2024
DNF@ 46% p373/804 Chapter 60(Arik)
…I should really learn to stop putting down books if I mean to finish them. 🤦 I do this every time.
This was pretty good, honestly.
A little long, but I was enjoying it when I stopped reading to take a ‘break’.
I just have no desire to pick it back up and try to get immersed in the story again.
Profile Image for Darcy.
2,148 reviews22 followers
July 2, 2024
This story starts out with so much drama. We meet Jessalyn. A princess who gets some very upsetting news. I like Jessalyn and her personality. She a tad sassy and smart . She is naive in ways but not so much it makes her seem lacking. It just adds to her personality. Some serious issues occur and this is when I slightly disliked how she started doing things to show her independence as she learns to navigate through what has occurred. The guys are really fantastic to a point. The only one who throws me a bit is Arik because one minute he is charming and kind then the next he can be cold and not necessarily cruel but a little standoffish. I absolutely adore Creed and his caring personality. Silas is the one that definitely pulls you in with his psycho type personality but has a softer side you wouldn’t expect. Roan is your protector that you just want to cuddle. Strong and protective that just draws you in. But as the story continues we see the woman that we fell in love with from the beginning and the story takes an interesting turn of events. As the story continues it definitely is getting more gripping. It has pulled me in and kept me glued to it. The suspense, drama, and action is definitely an eye catching piece that has you on the edge of your seat. This story is one that is jammed packed full of so many emotions. It is a roller coaster of a ride. We have so much drama, suspense, and action. There are so many surprising actions that you just read it in shock. The ending was stunning. I absolutely loved how this story ends. It was one dramatic moment after another. This is absolutely an incredible story that is definitely not to be turned away from.
Profile Image for Jess Norris.
28 reviews
July 2, 2024
It start off out the gate!
Twist, turns, and secrets up until the end. Hall keeps you guessing on what’s going to happen next! If you’re needing a book to hold your attention for a while, this one is it! One of the longest books I’ve read, and it is action packed!
Princess Jessalyn is thrown at the cruel (understatement) king of another country, so to hold on to the tiny sliver of identity and freedom she has left she decides to live a little while trying to escape her fate. Fate comes as a band of four guards who immediately want this reckless princess. Guards who are a commander, a thief, a wolf shifter, and commoner… all with their own secrets and their own lessons in survival.
Jaws dropped, WTF’s were said, this book has it all…
Fated Mates, Wolf Shifters, Kinks, Tortured protagonist, tough FMC, Fighting, Knives, so many more that would get this review potentially flagged.
This one is DEFINITELY on the darker side, to me it’s darker than Hall’s Dark Wolfverse books.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the adventure and unpredictable outcomes throughout. There a lot to be said about how the characters progress and how each work their strengths. I will be coming back to this one to enjoy again!
Profile Image for Angela.
173 reviews3 followers
July 1, 2024
Settle Down Princess is a fantasy romance that tells the story of Jessalyn. She's a princess who has been raised in a world in which women are only seen if they are covered and never heard. In order to keep her kingdom safe, her father has agreed to send her to be the bride to the king of a neighboring kingdom...who has killed his last 6 brides. Before she leaves her mother and grandmother impart some secrets and give her the tools to take her destiny into her own hands.

Jessalyn learns a lot once she is out in the world on the way to her fate - who to trust, who to depend on and how to defend herself. The author builds a whole world in which there are a lot of moving pieces that need to come together in order for Jessalyn to survive. I enjoyed the character growth of Jessalyn and that she was able to surround herself with those that had the same vision for the kingdom.

This book is a monster read - over 900 pages! But it was well worth the read and I will definitely be on the lookout for more fantasy from Sam Hall.
Profile Image for Allison  Marie.
214 reviews
July 3, 2024
A lengthy, worthy read!

Wow! Just wow! This story was absolutely grand! If you love romantasy and an epic journey to get to the happy ending, this is your book. It is a long book, but with how well it is written and how great the story is, you will be sucked in and unable to out it down!

Sam never disappoints with her ability to produce amazing world building and character development. There were some darker things in this book, but nothing super dark at all. I think it added to the depth and development of the characters, as well as the overall storyline. This book had a little bit of almost every romance trope in it!

I loved that you get to see the evolution of a pampered princess turning into a strong and independent woman. I loved that her guys had to come to grips with their own baggage to fully be present in the relationship. I loved that the guys made mistakes and groveled to make up for them. That they really worked hard to gain the love and trust of the princess.

Overall, this will probably one of my favorite reads of the year!!!
Profile Image for Ange Bennetts.
863 reviews6 followers
July 5, 2024
Jessalyn, starts off a little naive but strong and determined. As each new burden is placed on her shoulders, we see her go through grief, doubt, mourning for her old life, wishing for what could have been. Trying to escape and feeling so despondent as if no one else is on her side. Discovering new parts of herself and slowly having feelings for her guards. I love that she inspires these men to rise up against a tyrannical king, using every ounce of loyalty, family connections and even giving their pride so that they can be the right men for her and give her a kingdom that she can heal. Sexy, tension filled and packed with political nightmares to navigate, the character development for all 5 main characters (and a slew of memorable side characters) is next level, we see so much growth, so much change, but not at the core of them. I loved this book, I loved the talking to ghosts, the symbolism and yes I even enjoyed the political intrigues between so many countries, groups and even families. Take the time to enjoy every word, you won't regret it.
Profile Image for Book Life With Jen.
1,250 reviews23 followers
July 10, 2024
Settle Down, Princess by Sam Hall is one massively thick baby but man was it amazing!!! Definitely set aside sometime for this one, because you won’t want to out this book down once you dive into its pages! Sam is a true master and creating amazingly in depth worlds with fantastic characters that suck you in and this one was no exception!!! If you love romantasy werewolf shifter paranormal stories featuring a KA heroine that grows throughout the story and really comes into her own and four sexy alpha males that you want to claim for yourself—this is the one for you!

Right from the start Princess Jessalyn’s story is utterly captivating and I never wanted it to stop! With so much drama, angst and tension abound you quickly realize this pampered princess is in for the journey of a lifetime—even if it feels like she’s walking to her own execution. Albeit with four very sexy and intriguing executioners. Because man—Arik, Creed, Silas, and Roan are life!!!

Needles to say this is a must read so just stop reading these reviews and one click this baby now!
Profile Image for Jewels.
148 reviews
July 10, 2024
Author Sam Hall combines a high fantasy adventure with her amazing story telling skills in her new book - Settle Down Princess. This book is standalone reverse harem, although the length of the book it feels like a whole series in one book. The supernatural element is wolf shifters. This is definitely an epic supernatural romance book that cannot be missed!

Because the book is so long there are soooo many amazing tropes!! Including cinnamon roll men, kidnappings, weakish woman grows to strong bad a*s, arranged marriage, fated mates, touch her and die. This is definitely an angsty book, but it has a HEA. There are also so many very, very, very hot scenes!!!

Also, there are times in the books that I wanted to throttle more than on of the male characters, but somehow I ended up loving them all. And at first I wasn't thrilled with the FMC because she seemed weak and whiny but by the end she was so strong and amazing! Loved it!

The ending was WILD but again such a satisfying ending.

TW:
Some dubcon within harem
Light BDSM
Angst
145 reviews
September 18, 2024
just no

The fmc is extremely unlikeable. She continually acts like a brat for the first 200 pages. She drugs herself and goes around trying to jump 4 strangers (knowing it would cause her to act this way). She then stupidly trusts a stranger at an Inn to take her to safety, but not before drugging her guards, with the same sexy time drug, thinking they’d go take advantage of some server girl (real classy btw) only to find herself kidnapped by a group of bandits. I don’t know how she got the drug in her system but while she was tied up, somehow she got the drug and then they had some sexy time, that seemed consensual, only to find out after her “punishment” that she was bleeding from a head injury and somehow that was such a grievous response that she was going to reject her fated mates….she’s the whole cause of her current situation and I am over 200 pages in and can’t stomach the content to finish it. This story feels like it’s written by someone trying to pretend they care about women’s rights and have made the fmc seem like a shrew to do it.
Profile Image for  Jackie.
568 reviews7 followers
June 28, 2024
The world building in this book is phenomenal, all the little details mentioned really make you feel as if you are right there alongside the characters. Jessalyn maybe a princess whose life has never been her own but when she decides to take back her life it brings her into the path of her men. Arik, Creed, Silas & Roan have come to escort her to her new life but an encounter with them before she knows this sets their whole world alight. While trying to show Jessalyn how much she means to them but continually messing up along the way, the life she should be leading rears its ugly head forcing them all to fight for not only their lives & love for each other but for the lives of everyone in the kingdom. The way their relationship grows as they fight for each other and what they believe in leaves you feeling all warm inside. This book may be thick but it will soon have you hooked and desperate to know how it all works out. Fantastic read.
Profile Image for Esmarie.
203 reviews7 followers
June 30, 2024
If you are in the mood for a monster book - this is for you. No, I don’t mean tentacles or claws, I mean monstrous in size… This is an epic tale spanning nations, taking our heroine Jess from broken kingdoms to forrested hide-aways.
Hall has crafted a beautiful and flawed world, where a young woman is struggling to find not only her place, but also her voice.
The heroes can barely be called thus, morally grey men who have allowed evil to thrive, and it’s only in Jess that they find a reason to start fighting back.
I loved Jess’s development throughout this book, and how the men each find their own reason for standing up against tyranny.
This book wonderfully portrays the different strengths of women, and I absolutely loved that.
For a book this size, it read really quickly, which is a testament to Hall’s writing skills.
121 reviews
July 1, 2024
Epic fantasy at its best.

When Sam said this would be a long book, she wasn't wrong, but she also didn't disappoint with the story weaved within the pages.

This book pulled on so many emotions especially when you think all is lost, but then comes a light in the darkness.

The male characters are pushed into a corner and have been for years, until Jess. They are bound to do the king's biding and that involves her too.

Their journey isn't smooth sailing and they have to swerve so many curve balls, you wonder if they'll all end up together.
Jess is a great female, recognises her flaws, be it because of her upbringing or just because it's who she is.
I also love that she isn't a tough female who does everything herself, and realises that she needs the men just as much as they do her.

Sam's world building is amazing as always, and this was a joy to read.

Profile Image for Richelle Zirkle.
2,151 reviews12 followers
July 2, 2024
This is one of my favorite Sam Hall books ever, and that’s saying a lot as a fan. The way Sam created this world with depth and care shows how talented she is as a storyteller. You feel like you can see and envision the larger realm and kingdom around you as you navigate the world Princess Jessalyn is facing. She has a fight on her hands. Arik, Creed, Silas, and Roan have been sent to escort her to her new husband, and the King is likely to execute her as soon as he consummates their marriage. The tricky thing is, the men can’t allow that to happen. They’re developing feelings for the spitfire princess. Now they’ll have to not only save Jess, but an entire kingdom from the mad king. If anyone can do it, this group with their giant hearts can. With a winning cast of main and secondary characters, this was an unforgettable, thick read.
Profile Image for Beth.
492 reviews23 followers
July 6, 2024
Really enjoyable stand-alone romantasy. This one is on the darker side from most of Sam Hall’s books so please check the TW for yourself. All in all, I had a lot of fun reading this.!yes, this is a thick book and you do have world building and characters and loads of plot to get to know. It is a stand-alone, so while it is long, you won’t be waiting after a cliffie which I appreciate!

Our fmc was strong and mostly determined, she has a lot of what I love about the authors fmc’s. She may have started off very naive and trusting, but there is a lot of growth/character development. I loved Creed 😍, Silas and Roan are tied for second favorite, and then we have well you know who. The last mmc I didn’t name, grew on me, it took awhile, but you’ve got a lot of book for his growth. He does have his reasons, but still took me some time to get over things.
Profile Image for Lexi.
1,012 reviews19 followers
July 17, 2024
Princess Jessalyn starts out as a spoiled princess but develops into a kickass woman as this story progresses. And she’s got a lot to deal with and one heck of a fight on her hands. She’s got these men who are escorting her to her future husband who’s most likely going to kill her as soon as they’ve consumated the marriage. Clearly Jessalyn doesn’t want that but neither do the men who grow to care for her. This book is one heck of a ride with amazing world building and complex characters. I don’t want to spoil anything but this is a great story to read. And it’s so much fun getting to see them open up and develop throughout. I was enthralled from very early on and kept wanting more. I was pleased with how it ended but definitely want more of these characters along with this world! Get ready for a great story.
Profile Image for Amber.
403 reviews6 followers
July 21, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. It has a little bit of everything. I love when books are long, especially when I do not want to leave the world. The world building and character development was great. Jessalyn changed and grew throughout the book, which I loved. I really like seeing the weak/naive character get strong. Lots of action throughout. This book is on the darker side, but I didn't think it was too bad at all. Creed was instantly my favorite. It took me a while to like Arik, but I ended up loving them all. There were so many ups and downs, but everything worked out perfectly. I couldn't put this book down once I picked it up. I just needed to know what was going to be happy. The ending is fantastic. I absolutely love when authors put in chapter(s) that are several years down the road.
Profile Image for Marie.
95 reviews
September 21, 2024
4.5 ⭐️ another winning story by Sam Hall!!

I love Jessalyn and her men! Sam Hall gives us a dynamic world with complex history between the kingdoms and how the wolf shifters are the foundation of a kingdom.

Sam consistently writes FMCs I want to be friends with and strong female characters surrounding her I wish I could have in my world too. The female wolves especially and all the sisters of her men.

Always enjoy a mad king and the consequences of his madness! I did not see the ending coming exactly and love the twist on the history of the kingdoms.

Also cool element having the bastard prince, the prince of thieves, essentially a feral wolf shifter and a common man be a pack together. I hadn’t see that before and the dynamics were cool both between the men and during intimacy.

Reverse harem
No MM
Individual and group scenes
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Profile Image for Colleen Sanchez.
153 reviews3 followers
June 26, 2024
Wow! So wonderful! This is a very lengthy read but sooo worth every bit of it! Think House of Dragons minus the dragons and enter the multiple mates and wolf shifters in place of dragons. Well kind of ha! I’m so loving all the twists in this story loved the characters as usual Sam hits realistic issues in her story which make them a bit relatable and believable. There is so much to discover along with the main female character. She goes through a lot; this was a very well “world built” as Sam gives back history of the realms and families. As per usual Sam gives you characters to love and some to absolutely want to unalive in a hearts beat. So hope you enjoy this one again it’s lengthy but totally worth every second!!
4 reviews
June 30, 2024
"Settle Down, Princess" by Sam Hall is a captivating fantasy romance that weaves elements of royal duty, personal rebellion, and the quest for true love. The story follows a young royal princess, destined for a life controlled by her father’s decisions, who faces an unimaginable fate: marriage to the murderous King of Khean, a man notorious for killing his previous queens. Determined not to become his next victim, the princess embarks on a journey of survival and self-discovery.

"Settle Down, Princess" is not just a story of defiance against a tyrant king but a journey of self-empowerment and finding one’s true allies. For fans of fantasy romance with strong, dynamic characters and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, this book is a must-read.
Profile Image for Courtney Mattingly.
24 reviews
June 30, 2024
10/10 this is one of Sam Halls best books! The world building is amazing, the character growth,and just the all around spice is amazing.


Now the book has a lot of things are amazing, but I will say this the main character is a naive little princess and therefore she acts like one. She does grow a whole during the progression of the book and turns into a bad ass,who still a if naive.

The spice is truly amazing and will get you super hot and sexy. (
Side warning here,there is a drug in the book that can enhance sexual pleasure/desire,so if you’re not into that type of thing just over look the parts that include it).


I truly enjoyed this books and would totally recommend giving it chance, it just might save your life 😉
Profile Image for Mandy Robitaille .
2,123 reviews20 followers
June 30, 2024
I am speechles. This book was *thick* and SO good. I felt like my attention was captured the entire time and I was on the edge of my seat at times!

This high fantasy standalone took us on a wild adventure. I loved the MFC Jessalyn. Seeing her progression as she grew throughout her journey was amazing - Sam Hall always nails her character development journeys with her female characters and Settle Down Princess was no different.

Trope wise, this book had a bit of everything- fated mates, touch her and perish, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and do much more. If you love a high fantasy romance with adventure, this one is for you!

This was a fantastic read that will really suck you right in!
Profile Image for Maris.
88 reviews
June 30, 2024
I hate to use the word epic but this book really does deserve it.

It’s got everything. Royalty, betrayal, revolutions, wolf shifters, peril, friendship, characters you love to hate, hot men and the steamy scenes to go with them. Everything. It’s a lengthy book but I raced through it. The depth of connection and their drive to survive just pulled me along. I had to know what happened next!

There’s some serious trigger warnings with this one. But I have to say that Sam Hall is always incredibly cautious with her warnings and as someone who’s read the odd mafia dubcon this is nothing to worry about.

I see a lot of books with ‘epic fantasy’ in their tagline, often I don’t see why. I can’t think of a better way to describe this though
202 reviews2 followers
July 10, 2024
Settle Down Princess is a fantasy romance about Jessalyn, a princess in a very patriarchal society. Her father has agreed for her to be the bride to the king of a neighboring kingdom...who has killed his last 6 brides. Before she leaves her mother and grandmother give her the tools to take her destiny into her own hands.

Jessalyn learns a lot once she is out in the world on the way to her fate - who to trust, who to depend on, and how to defend herself. Sam Hall does a good job building a whole world in this book. I enjoyed the character growth of Jessalyn and that she was able to surround herself with those who had the same vision for the kingdom.

This book is a monster read - over 900 pages! But it was worth the read and I will obviously continue to read more from Sam!
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